I have a laundry list of wonderful sayings that often inspire my articles. One that stands out is from our team member Ankur, who frequently says, “There’s no traffic on the extra mile road.” I found it particularly fitting after our recent Build IT LIVE event. While I felt proud of all the wonderful content and praise from attendees, what brought us the most joy was the overwhelming appreciation we received for our team.
At IT By Design (ITBD), we have a saying: “Treat the customer like God.” In Indian culture, we treat guests in our homes with the utmost respect, and that’s how we wanted to treat all our attendees. What delighted me most wasn’t just one or two compliments, but the sheer volume of praise for our team members.
For example, one of our newer vendors in the Solutions Pavilion was relatively unknown. This was one of their first shows, and you could tell they were feeling the pressure. As a bronze sponsor, they were positioned on the outer perimeter of the pavilion. Jim from our team approached them and asked how the show was going. The owner replied that it was okay, but traffic was slow, and their branding could have been better. Jim said, “Let me take care of that for you.”
He went out of his way to bring over 12 different MSP partners to have lunch and engage with this new company. The owner was astounded and came to tell me about the experience—nowhere else had he ever seen such commitment.
HaloPSA, our top sponsor, also expressed their appreciation for our entire team, especially Tiffani, who had helped them immensely with hotel arrangements and figuring out how much popcorn was really enough 😊.
Whether our team was running to get snacks, escorting attendees to the right room, or making introductions to amazing people, they were all going the extra mile. At ITBD, it’s a mindset to go above and beyond. This commitment has helped us build our business and brand over the last 21 years. It’s a culture you instill in your team, and its impact is exponential:
- It builds loyalty with both customers and team members. When they know we go the extra mile for each other, they want to work with us.
- I was repeatedly told this was the only conference where people truly felt cared for, and how any wish they expressed came true. (Insert GENIE emoji – Poof! “What do you need?” Yes, I am a Disney fan!)
- It enhances our reputation as an organization that delivers not only on quality but also on service.
- People will spread the word and remember how they “felt” while they were here. They will come back.
- It demonstrates to our attendees how important their experience is to us and how valued they are to our organization.
- As a team, it shows our commitment to each other and our organizational goals.
It’s so easy to take those extra steps—whether walking someone to a door, sharing your personal experience on how to save money on popcorn machines, or introducing someone new. None of these actions cost our team any money, but the rewards are priceless. Our attendees left feeling truly valued, and they made sure to communicate it to “Mom and Dad.” We couldn’t have been prouder of them.
Pride is an emotion we all feel when we complete a job well. When we go the extra mile and people appreciate it, the satisfaction is even greater. So, the next time you can take that extra step for a partner, do it. They’ll appreciate it, and you’ll feel better for having done so.
